Does anyone have advice for a nurse looking to leave bedside nursing?
Do it, find something safer that protects your license and values YOU as a person, not just say they do....
Have you considered how to use your experience to consult other nurses? Like mentoring or putting together a program to help them get hired or gain experience in a certain unit? Working for yourself is bomb!
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You need experience in OR, Apheresis, and Case management... nowadays, without experience...unless you’re “in-house”applicant, you won’t get picked..
I am in the same situation.
There are many areas of nursing besides "bedside nursing". Think back to when you were in nursing school what areas did you like when you took your clinicals? Look at the nursing jobs being offered and see if any interest you, with the nursing shortage now would be a good time to make a change.
Come to the OR!
Case management worked well for me. It allows you to use your clinical experience in a new way. And you’ll learn a lot about many more diagnoses. As well as treatment in many settings.
If you do leave, ask yourself why? And what do you want to do? Don't keep hopping around as you will lose skills in certain areas.
Home care. I went from a SNF to home care because they were paying more. The unspoken hierarchy that exists among nurses about working in a hospital vs less acute levels of care, is just dumb. Like working in the ER is more intense than teaching Pleurex cath drainage to a patient in their home but the impact of what you do for them in the home is visible, measurable and rewarding. Also, you get to learn exactly why they have chronic illnesses, re-admissions or flare ups. For example, “Gladys you probably have a recurring UTI and high blood sugar because you haven’t left the couch all day and have only eaten Little Debbie snack cakes with Diet Coke. Just a guess”
Go to home care, you’ll love it.
Is this what you absolutely want? Ok, there are options. Talk to you're nursing councilor, your peers and even to some of the Docters in you're ward. They usually know who needs a nurse for their speciality. Contact some recruiters too. It might help.
If you think that you may go back to bedside, I would recommend going PRN. I didn’t do that and regret it 100% and now 10 years later, I specifically want to go back to bedside because of the flexibility.
You should not have too much trouble finding something different. It just depends on where your interests are unless you mean that you want to leave nursing altogether. Good luck!
Check out your local Health Department or Community Health Centers. Only thing with those positions is that you may take quite a pay cut, but the work is very satisfying. Programs like Healthy Start (working with at-risk pregnant women and babies) are another avenue- they may be part of the Health Department, just fyi.
A couple of other suggestions- Indian Health Services or other Federal nursing jobs.
If you love helping people in the developing world, travel, other cultures, and foreign languages, then Peace Corps, humanitarian aid organizations like International Medical Corps or Doctors Without Borders could be for you.
You can also check out outpatient clinics at the facility in which you already work- pay may be less than what you are used to, but usually you don't have to work weekends or holidays.
If you have your Masters Degree, how about Nursing education, either at a college or the hospital you work in, as a nurse educator? Do some self-eval to find out what is your burning desire, like what do you love doing most as a nurse; that might help guide you where to go. Depending on your level of education, you may have other opportunities, so maybe getting a BSN or Masters would be best for you.
If you love technology, nursing informatics could be for you.
Nursing really has many different paths. I wish you the best in finding your perfect niche :)
I actually just left bedside for community health/public health after 6-7 months. I recommend joining American Public Health Nurses Association and networking with professionals. I also recommend applying to public health, Federally Qualified Community Health Centers and even looking at non profit organizations associated with community/public health for a job
When I couldn't do ER any longer I found Home Health nursing. It's more flexible and I use my teaching skills with my patients. This type of nursing is so rewarding.
Be careful, I have had 2 Staff Development/Infection Preventionist positions (in title only) Reality was I was those plus Stand, plus Floor nurse, wasn't supposed to work 24 +hours straight in a ltc facility where there is NOT any active covid among staff and residents. Ask to "shadow" before you take the job, see for yourself, feel the energy if the facility.
Ambulatory setting. I work in Apheresis and love what I do!
Patient/Nurse relationship is the ultimate in bedside nursing so fascinating that the nurse will get clinical routine experience daily and more treatment in medical settings.
